A passel of Crown corporations which collectively suck up billions of taxpayers' dollars each year are pleading the be exempt from the freedom-of-information law. They want to live in hog heaven on our money, but bristle at the thought on any scrutiny on the part of the tax slaves who support them.

Free speech supporters will be especially incensed at the attitude of the Race Relations Foundation, headed by fromer B'nai Brith heavyweight Dr. Karen Mock. "The Race Relations Foundation was 'concerned about malicious or frivolous requests from white supremacist and other racist groups' seeking information to discredit human rights and multicultural policies, or to harass race relations agencies and community groups."

Just what would a "malicious" request for information be? It's hard to imagine. And if information, that is, truth, would discredit human rights or multicultural policies, don't they deserve to be discredited?

Let your MP know that federal freedom-of-information requirements should be extended to Crown corporations. If we pay, they must be accountable. Canadians have too long been given them mushroom treatment by federal bureacrats: kept in the dark and fed bull****!

Paul Fromm
Director
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FREE EXPRESSION

CBC among agencies balking at inclusion under access-to-information law

Tue Aug 24, 7:11 PM ET

JIM BRONSKILL

OTTAWA (CP) - The CBC argues its journalistic sources will dry up if the public broadcaster is forced to comply with the country's freedom-of-information law.

Newly obtained government memos show the CBC has vehemently objected to proposals to include it under the Access to Information Act on the grounds it would compromise the corporation's news reporting. The CBC contends parties such as police and lobby groups might apply for records produced by its journalists to complete their own investigations, "making individuals reluctant to speak to CBC," says one Justice Department (news - web sites) memo.

The CBC is among several Crown corporations squarely opposed to the looming possibility of becoming subject to the federal information law.

Internal Justice memos spelling out their positions were released to The Canadian Press in response to a request under the access law.

The federal sponsorship scandal has fuelled debate about whether Crown corporations -state-controlled companies that operate at arm's-length from government -are sufficiently accountable to the public.

The Access to Information Act enables people who pay $5 to request government-held records ranging from expense reports and audits to correspondence and opinion polls.

But more than a dozen Crown agencies, including the CBC, Canada Post and Via Rail, are excluded from the law. As part of its response to the sponsorship affair, the government is looking at broadening coverage of the access act.

Two years ago, a federal task force proposed new rules that would result in application of the law to most Crown corporations. The Justice Department, one of the federal agencies responsible for the act, subsequently consulted Crown entitites on the question.

The CBC told Justice its credibility as a public broadcaster "would be harmed" if it were considered a government institution under the law.

Provisions of the access act shield certain classes of information, including confidential commercial data and material pertaining to national security, from release.

The CBC, however, said coming under the law could mean losing control of information related to:

The Justice memo noted public broadcasters in Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are included under freedom-of-information laws in their jurisdictions-most with exemptions for journalistic material.

Alasdair Roberts, an expert on the Canadian access law, said the CBC should come under the act.

"They're a public institution, they spend public money, they wield public authority," said Roberts, who teaches at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University in New York state.

The CBC could propose amendments to the law if it feels the current act doesn't adequately protect its interests, he said.

The CBC position carries "a certain element of hypocrisy," given that the corporation's journalists use federal and provincial access laws to hold other public institutions accountable, he added.

Other Crown agencies that raised concerns with Justice about coming under the federal law included Canada Post, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., Export Development Canada, the National Arts Centre, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Via Rail.

As The Canadian Press reported earlier this month, Canada Post told the government it shouldn't be included in the law because the requirement to be more open would put the post office at a competitive disadvantage.

Canada Post president Andre Ouellet stepped down recently, two weeks after release of an audit showing he spent $2 million on travel and hospitality over eight years without supporting receipts.

Ouellet had been suspended since the spring, when Auditor General Sheila Fraser criticized spending in the federal sponsorship program by Crown corporations including Canada Post.

Via Rail, which also became entangled in the sponsorship affair, told Justice it was concerned about losing the ability to shield the results of product testing, which it considers important competitive information, from public release.

The Race Relations Foundation was "concerned about malicious or frivolous requests from white supremacist and other racist groups" seeking information to discredit human rights and multicultural policies, or to harass race relations agencies and community groups.

The National Arts Centre argued being subject to the law would "serve no useful purpose" because the institution already provides a "great deal" of information to Parliament.

The Royal Canadian Mint, while currently under the law, told the government it wants to be excluded to ensure a "level playing field" with private sector competitors.

The Race Relations Foundation was "concerned about malicious or frivolous requests from white supremacist and other racist groups" seeking information to discredit human rights and multicultural policies, or to harass race relations agencies and community groups.

It's like Minitru - the 'Ministry of Truth' (Propaganda). In order to achieve their goals, they must be very selective about what information is presented to the public - and what information is not. The masses must never learn of the inherent criminal behaviours of certain races.